Chronic Inflammation and Ageing: How NMN and Quercetin May Help Fight

The Hidden War Inside Your Cells

You might not see it. You probably don't feel it either. But right now, deep within your cells, a quiet war is being waged.

It's not the kind of inflammation you'd recognize. There's no heat, no redness, no swelling. Instead, it simmers beneath the surface, slowly eroding your vitality year after year. Scientists have a name for this hidden enemy: inflammaging. And if you care about how you age, you need to understand what it is and what you can do about it.

Here's the thing. Inflammaging isn't just about getting older. It's about what happens when your body's natural repair systems start to falter. When zombie-like cells refuse to die. When inflammation becomes chronic instead of helpful. And when your body loses its ability to clean up the cellular debris that builds up over time.

But what if there were a way to fight back? What if two naturally occurring compounds could help your body clear out these troublesome cells and reduce the inflammatory signals that drive aging? That's where nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and quercetin come in.

In this article, we'll explore the science behind chronic inflammation and aging, why it matters for your health, and how NMN and quercetin work together to potentially slow down this process. Let's dive in.

What Is Inflammaging?

Inflammaging is exactly what it sounds like: the intersection of inflammation and aging. But unlike the acute inflammation you experience when you cut your finger or catch a cold, inflammaging is chronic, low-grade, and persistent. It's your immune system stuck in perpetual overdrive, flooding your body with inflammatory signals day after day, year after year.

Think of acute inflammation as your body's fire department. When there's an emergency, like an infection or injury, your immune system rushes to the scene, puts out the fire, and then goes home. That's healthy inflammation. It protects you.

Inflammaging, however, is different. It's like having fire alarms constantly going off throughout your body, even when there's no real fire. Your immune system never gets to rest. And over time, this constant state of alert starts causing damage to the very tissues it was meant to protect.

Why does this happen? Multiple factors drive inflammaging. As we age, our immune system accumulates what scientists call an "antigenic burden." This is essentially the sum total of all the stresses and challenges our immune system has faced over a lifetime. Infections, environmental toxins, poor diet, chronic stress: they all add up. Your immune cells become hyperactive, continuously producing inflammatory molecules like cytokines and chemokines.

But there's another major player in this process. One that might surprise you.

The Problem with Senescent Cells

Imagine if some of the cells in your body decided they didn't want to die. Not in a good way, like staying young and healthy. But in a problematic way: they stop dividing, refuse to undergo programmed cell death, and instead just sit there, taking up space.

These are senescent cells, often called "zombie cells" because they're neither fully alive nor dead. Under normal circumstances, cellular senescence is actually protective. When cells accumulate too much DNA damage or become potentially cancerous, they enter this senescent state as a safety mechanism. It stops them from dividing and forming tumors.

The problem? These senescent cells don't just sit quietly. They secrete a toxic cocktail of inflammatory molecules known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, or SASP. This includes pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and IL-8, growth factors, proteases, and other damaging substances.

Here's where it gets worse: SASP factors can turn neighboring healthy cells into senescent cells too. It's contagious. One zombie cell can create others, spreading throughout your tissues like a slow-motion infection. And as these senescent cells accumulate with age, they drive chronic inflammation throughout your body.

The consequences are far-reaching. Senescent cells and their inflammatory signals contribute to virtually every age-related disease we know. Heart disease. Alzheimer's. Osteoarthritis. Type 2 diabetes. Cancer. Frailty. The list goes on. They degrade tissue function, disrupt normal cellular processes, and create an environment where diseases can flourish.

You might be wondering: doesn't our body have a way to deal with these problematic cells? The answer is yes, but it becomes less effective as we age. Our immune system should recognize and clear senescent cells. But over time, immune function declines, a process called immunosenescence. The very cells that should be cleaning up the mess become part of the problem, sometimes even adopting inflammatory phenotypes themselves.

Why Chronic Inflammation Matters for Your Health

Let's talk about what chronic inflammation actually does to you. This isn't abstract science. This is about your energy, your cognition, your appearance, and ultimately, your lifespan.

Chronic inflammation accelerates aging at the cellular level. It damages your mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of your cells. When your mitochondria don't work properly, you produce less energy. You feel fatigued. Your muscles don't recover as quickly. Your brain feels foggy.

It also disrupts your metabolism. Inflammatory signals interfere with insulin sensitivity, making it harder for your cells to absorb glucose. This can lead to metabolic syndrome, weight gain, and eventually type 2 diabetes. If you've noticed that maintaining your weight has become harder as you've gotten older, chronic inflammation might be part of the reason.

Your skin shows the effects too. Inflammatory molecules break down collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep your skin firm and youthful. They also impair the skin's ability to retain moisture and repair damage. The result? More wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. Beauty products can only do so much when inflammation is attacking your skin from within.

Perhaps most concerning is what inflammation does to your brain. Your brain has its own immune cells called microglia. Under normal conditions, they protect neurons and clean up cellular debris. But chronic inflammation can activate them inappropriately, leading to neuroinflammation. This damages neurons, disrupts neural connections, and contributes to cognitive decline. Studies have linked chronic inflammation to increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative conditions.

The cardiovascular system isn't spared either. Inflammation plays a central role in atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in arteries. It makes blood vessels less flexible, raises blood pressure, and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Understanding all this raises an obvious question: can we do anything about it?

How NMN Fights Inflammaging

Let's talk about NAD+, one of the most important molecules in your body that you've probably never heard of. NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and it's essential for virtually every metabolic process in your cells. It helps convert food into energy, repairs DNA, regulates circadian rhythms, and activates proteins called sirtuins that govern cellular health and longevity.

Here's the problem: NAD+ levels decline dramatically as we age. By the time you reach 50, you may have only half the NAD+ you had in your youth. This decline isn't just a marker of aging. It's one of the driving forces behind it.

Why does NAD+ decrease? Several reasons. Your body produces less of it. You also consume more of it. Enzymes like PARPs and CD38 that use NAD+ become more active with age, particularly in response to DNA damage and inflammation. And here's the connection to inflammaging: the chronic inflammatory state itself depletes NAD+. It's a vicious cycle. Low NAD+ leads to more inflammation. More inflammation further depletes NAD+.

This is where NMN supplementation comes in. NMN is a direct precursor to NAD+. When you take NMN, it converts to NAD+ in your cells through a simple enzymatic process. This restoration of NAD+ levels can help break the cycle of inflammaging.

Research shows that NMN supplementation activates sirtuins, particularly SIRT1. Sirtuins are often called "longevity genes" because of their role in cellular repair, DNA protection, and metabolic regulation. SIRT1, in particular, has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. It can inhibit NF-κB, a master regulator of inflammatory responses. When SIRT1 is active, inflammation is kept in check.

NMN also improves mitochondrial function. Better mitochondria mean less oxidative stress and fewer inflammatory signals. Your cells produce energy more efficiently, leaving less metabolic waste that could trigger inflammation.

Clinical studies in humans have started to confirm these benefits. Research has shown that NMN supplementation can increase NAD+ levels by up to 38% compared to baseline. Other trials have demonstrated improvements in insulin sensitivity, physical endurance, and markers of metabolic health. While more research is needed specifically on inflammatory markers, the mechanistic basis is strong.

But NMN doesn't work alone. For optimal results, it needs a partner.

Quercetin: The Senolytic Superhero

Remember those zombie cells we talked about earlier? Quercetin is one of the most promising natural compounds that can actually eliminate them. Scientists call substances that clear senescent cells "senolytics," and quercetin is among the most well-studied.

Quercetin is a flavonoid, a type of plant compound found in foods like apples, onions, berries, and tea. It has multiple mechanisms of action that make it valuable for fighting inflammaging.

First, quercetin can selectively induce death in senescent cells. It does this by interfering with the survival pathways these cells use to resist normal programmed cell death. When senescent cells are eliminated, the inflammatory SASP factors they produce disappear with them. The result? Less inflammation throughout the body.

Studies in aged mice have shown remarkable results. When researchers treated old mice with quercetin and another senolytic drug called dasatinib, they saw improvements across multiple systems. The mice showed better physical function, reduced inflammation, and even extended healthspan. Their tissues looked younger at the cellular level.

But quercetin does more than just clear senescent cells. It's also a potent antioxidant that directly reduces oxidative stress. It activates the NRF2 pathway, your body's master antioxidant defense system. This helps protect cells from the oxidative damage that accumulates with age.

Quercetin has another trick up its sleeve. It inhibits CD38, an enzyme that degrades NAD+. Remember how inflammation depletes NAD+? CD38 is one of the main culprits. Its activity increases dramatically with age, especially in tissues with high inflammation. By inhibiting CD38, quercetin helps preserve NAD+ levels. This is where the synergy with NMN becomes particularly powerful.

Research has also shown that quercetin can reduce inflammatory markers in humans. In clinical trials, supplementation with quercetin significantly decreased C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-1 (IL-1), two key markers of inflammation. Participants also experienced reductions in blood pressure and improvements in cardiovascular markers.

The Powerful Synergy: Why NMN and Quercetin Work Better Together

Now we get to the exciting part. NMN and quercetin aren't just two good supplements that happen to work in parallel. They create a synergistic effect that's greater than the sum of their parts.

Think of it this way: NMN replenishes NAD+, giving your cells the energy and resources they need to function optimally. Quercetin protects that NAD+ by inhibiting CD38, the enzyme that breaks it down. At the same time, quercetin clears out the senescent cells that are constantly triggering inflammation and depleting NAD+.

It's like trying to fill a leaky bucket. NMN pours water in. Quercetin patches the holes and removes the obstacles preventing the water from staying where it should be. Together, they address the problem from multiple angles.

Research supports this synergistic approach. Studies have shown that combining NAD+ precursors with compounds that preserve NAD+ levels or reduce cellular stress produces superior results compared to either intervention alone. One study found that resveratrol and quercetin significantly enhanced the protective effects of NAD+ precursors in cells exposed to DNA damage.

The Longevity Starter Pack, which combines NMN, quercetin, and TMG, is designed based on this synergistic principle. Each compound supports the others, creating a comprehensive approach to fighting inflammaging.

Here's what happens in your body when you take both:

Your NAD+ levels rise, thanks to NMN. This activates sirtuins and improves mitochondrial function. Your cells have more energy and better stress resistance. Meanwhile, quercetin is clearing out senescent cells, reducing the inflammatory load throughout your tissues. It's also protecting your NAD+ by inhibiting CD38. The result? Your cells are healthier, inflammation is lower, and your body has better tools to maintain itself.

TMG plays a supporting role by providing methyl groups. When NMN is converted to NAD+, your body uses methyl groups in the process. Supplementing with TMG ensures you don't deplete your methylation reserves, which are important for hundreds of other processes including DNA repair, neurotransmitter production, and detoxification.

What the Science Says: Clinical Evidence

Let's look at what human studies have actually shown. While research on longevity interventions is still relatively new, we have solid evidence for both NMN and quercetin.

For NMN, multiple clinical trials have now been completed. A multicenter trial published in 2022 studied 66 healthy middle-aged adults taking 300 mg of NMN daily for 60 days. The results showed a significant increase in NAD+/NADH ratios, rising by 38% compared to baseline. The placebo group saw only a 14% increase. Participants also reported improvements in overall health scores and walking endurance. Importantly, no adverse effects were observed.

Another study at Washington University School of Medicine examined the effects of 250 mg daily NMN supplementation on postmenopausal women with prediabetes. After 10 weeks, researchers found improved insulin sensitivity in muscle tissue. They also observed activation of pathways related to collagen production, suggesting potential benefits for skin health and tissue maintenance.

Japanese researchers conducted the first human safety trial for NMN, testing single doses of 100 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg in healthy men. All doses were well tolerated with no significant adverse effects. The study confirmed that oral NMN is effectively metabolized and safe for human consumption.

For quercetin, research has focused on its anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits. A randomized controlled trial involving patients with grade 2 hypertension found that 730 mg daily of quercetin for 28 days significantly reduced blood pressure. It also lowered inflammatory markers including CRP and IL-1.

Meta-analyses of quercetin studies have confirmed its ability to reduce systolic blood pressure, particularly in people with existing hypertension. The compound has also shown benefits for exercise recovery and immune function.

While direct human trials specifically testing the combination of NMN and quercetin for inflammaging are still limited, the mechanistic research is compelling. Animal studies consistently show that addressing both NAD+ restoration and senescent cell clearance produces superior outcomes for healthspan and age-related conditions.

It's worth noting that research in this field is rapidly evolving. Multiple clinical trials investigating NMN, quercetin, and other longevity compounds are currently underway. As more results emerge, our understanding of optimal dosing and combinations will continue to improve.

Practical Steps You Can Take Today

Understanding the science is one thing. Putting it into practice is another. Here's what you can actually do to combat inflammaging and support healthy aging.

Start with supplementation. Consider taking NMN (500mg) and quercetin (250mg with Vitamin C) daily. The research suggests taking NMN in the morning to align with your natural circadian rhythms. Quercetin can be taken with meals to improve absorption.

For optimal results, add TMG (500mg) to support methylation pathways. This trio forms the foundation of a comprehensive approach to cellular health and longevity.

But supplements are just one piece of the puzzle. Lifestyle factors profoundly influence inflammaging.

Exercise is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory interventions available. Both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise help clear senescent cells, reduce inflammatory markers, and improve NAD+ levels. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, combining both strength training and aerobic activity.

Your diet matters enormously. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods rich in polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. Think colorful vegetables, berries, fatty fish, nuts, and olive oil. Minimize processed foods, excess sugar, and inflammatory seed oils. These dietary changes alone can significantly reduce systemic inflammation.

Sleep is non-negotiable. During sleep, your body clears cellular waste, repairs DNA, and regulates inflammatory responses. Chronic sleep deprivation is strongly associated with increased inflammaging. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep per night. If you struggle with sleep, consider magnesium supplementation in the evening.

Manage stress. Chronic psychological stress triggers inflammatory pathways and accelerates aging. Practice stress-reduction techniques that work for you, whether that's meditation, yoga, time in nature, or simply ensuring you have adequate downtime.

Consider intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating. Periods of fasting activate autophagy, your body's cellular cleaning process. This helps clear damaged proteins and organelles, reducing the burden of cellular debris that contributes to inflammation. Even a simple 12 to 16 hour overnight fast can provide benefits.

Get regular sunlight exposure, but protect your skin appropriately. Moderate sun exposure helps regulate circadian rhythms and supports vitamin D production, both important for immune function and inflammation control.

Stay socially connected. Research shows that social isolation increases inflammation, while strong social connections are associated with lower inflammatory markers and better health outcomes. Prioritize meaningful relationships and community engagement.

Monitor your progress. While you can't easily measure senescent cell burden, you can track markers like energy levels, sleep quality, recovery from exercise, cognitive clarity, and overall wellbeing. Many people notice improvements within weeks of starting a comprehensive anti-inflammaging program.

Conclusion: Taking Control of How You Age

Inflammaging isn't an inevitable part of getting older. It's a process we can understand, measure, and potentially influence. While we can't stop aging entirely, we can change how we age. We can target the underlying mechanisms that drive age-related decline.

The combination of NMN and quercetin represents one of the most promising approaches to fighting chronic inflammation at the cellular level. NMN restores the energy molecule your cells need to function optimally. Quercetin clears out the zombie cells that drive inflammation and protects your NAD+ reserves. Together, they address inflammaging from multiple angles.

But remember: supplements are tools, not magic bullets. They work best as part of a comprehensive approach that includes proper nutrition, regular exercise, quality sleep, stress management, and social connection. The goal isn't just to live longer. It's to maintain vitality, health, and function throughout your years.

The science of longevity is evolving rapidly. What seemed like science fiction a decade ago is now becoming a practical reality. We have more tools than ever before to support healthy aging. The question isn't whether we can do something about inflammaging. The question is whether we'll choose to act on what we know.

Your cells are fighting a battle every day. Give them the support they need to win.

Ready to start your journey toward healthier aging? Explore the Longevity Starter Pack or visit our NMN Science page to learn more about the research behind these powerful compounds.

Thank you for reading this article!